Epic Poker League Places Chino Rheem on Probation

When David “Chino” Rheem won the first ever Epic Poker League Main Event last week, he was afforded plenty of attention for winning $1 million and being the first ever champion for the fledgling professional poker league. However, many poker fans were quick to note that Rheem was making plenty of headlines away from the EPL as well – and it was quite possible that Rheem’s position as the league’s first big winner might hurt the league’s reputation more than help it. Now, the EPL has placed Rheem on probation in response to the issues brought to light by the poker community.

The problems started due to a number of reports that Rheem had a history of not paying back several fellow players who had loaned him money. While these accusations were first brought to light by players who were lesser-known entities in the poker world, several famous names soon shared similar stories, including Tom Dwan and Ben Lamb.

Because of his past history, it came as no surprise when Rheem was met at the casino cage by several of his creditors after his big win, looking to get repaid. However, the situation became rather murky when it became apparent that Rheem had been staked in the tournament, with most rumors putting One Drop founder Guy Laliberte as the likely backer. According to the reported agreement, the backer received 70% of Rheem’s win, and another 10% was to be donated to charity. In addition, PokerNews.com has reported that Rheem likely swapped another 8-10% of his action with another player during the tournament, meaning Rheem may have taken home as little as $100,000 for his win.

As a result, while several players reported being paid back by Rheem after his win, he didn’t have enough to pay everyone he owed everything he owed them. Instead, many players reportedly received 10-20% of the amount they were owed, with a handful of creditors (including Lamb) being paid in full.

It quickly became apparent that some of this behavior might run afoul of the EPL Code of Conduct, particularly the following section:

Integrity and Honor: Players should act with honor and integrity in all of their personal

and professional actions, including meeting their financial responsibilities on time

and honoring contractual agreements.

The EPL dealt with the issue through a meeting of the EPL Standards and Conduct Committee on Monday. The result was a probationary period for Rheem, during which the league would continue to monitor his efforts to repay his debts. The league did point out that he made an effort to use the money won in the first EPL event to help pay his debts; however, it was also made clear that further violations of league policy would result in suspension from the EPL.